Have you ever felt like a shell of yourself? Has your mind ever told you that you are not allowed to do the things you love and if you do you will face the consequences? Have you ever felt like you are the victim of identity theft by your own mental illness? Have you ever hated yourself because you can no longer see yourself, you’ve been pulled into the swamp and you can’t see through the muck and you can’t breathe under it all. And by under it all I really mean my own mind. Have you ever been taunted by glimpses of hope only for a train to run you down as you looked down the tunnel into the light? And by train of course I mean my own mind. Have you ever looked into the mirror only to see a ghost? It looks so familiar but you know that can’t be you. You know that you’ve fought to damn hard to have been replaced by your mental illness! Why is it that a mirror can be so scary. You think you’re gunna see bedhead and eye crustys in the morning but instead you see self doubt, you see yourself withering away, you see struggle. Have you ever looked in the mirror and seen hope? Seen life and strength? Seen all that you truly are instead of what your mind tells you to see? Have you ever truly seen yourself for the powerful person you are?

Today, we celebrate every woman throughout history for her achievements, her bravery, her grace, and her unwavering desire to bring about change in this world. From the arts, to politics; to fields of medicine and science, to the classroom, even in your own household, women have forever and always been the quiet but powerful presence that has left an imprint on us all.

As someone who has been inspired heavily by both women and music, it would be impossible for me to have a music blog and not mention some of my favorite female artists. Now, I'd like to say that my taste is music has a pretty good range, from the extremely popular artists to the ones that are under the radar. But the artists that inspire me the most are the ones who utilize their platform to make a statement. From "I'm Feeling Good" by Nina Simone to "Formation" by Beyonce, female artists have made music to help give women a small sense of hope even on the hardest days. But as of late, the one song that has stirred my soul was "Django Jane" by the one and only, Janelle Monae.

"Django Jane" was one of the two singles that were dropped from Janelle's new album Dirty Computer. For three minutes and thirteen seconds, Monae raps about the underestimated power of women and her overlooked accomplishments as an artist. In a recent interview with The Guardian, she says, "[It’s] a response to me feeling the sting of the threats being made to my rights as a woman, as a black woman, as a sexually liberated woman, even just as a daughter with parents who have been oppressed for many decades. Black women and those who have been the ‘other’, and the marginalized in society – that’s who I wanted to support, and that was more important than my discomfort about speaking out."

While Janelle Monae has been known in the music business for her retro styling in her music and clothing, she has also been consistent in her dedication to the liberation of the female race. Just last year, she gave a riveting speech at the women's march, that had up to 5 million participants worldwide. She gave us all a history lesson by simply stating, “I wanna remind you that it was woman that gave you Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,” she said. “It was woman that gave you Malcolm X. And according to the Bible, it was a woman that gave you Jesus.”

I don't believe it was a coincidence that this song was released at the tail end of February (Black History Month) and the beginning of March (Women's Month), for only Janelle would make such a powerful statement in such a timely situation. If you haven't heard "Django Jane", the link is down below. And let's keep the conversation going in the comment section below. How are you celebrating International Women's Day? What songs help remind you how powerful you are?